title: Differential expression of estrogen receptor mRNA and protein in the female rat preoptic area.
abstract: The expression of estrogen receptor (ER) mRNA and ER protein in the medial preoptic area of ovariectomized rat was investigated at both cellular and regional levels using non-isotopic in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. ER mRNA was localized in the cytoplasm, while both liganded and unliganded forms of the ER protein were confined to the nucleus. Furthermore, ER mRNA containing cells were evenly distributed throughout the medial preoptic area, showing a homogeneous staining pattern compared to that of ER protein. ER immunoreactive cells were highly distributed in the medial, moderately in the lateral aspect of the medial preoptic area, showing a heterogeneous staining pattern with strongly and weakly labeled cells. These results suggest that ER protein levels are controlled by cellular posttranscriptional mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Pasterkamp
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yuri
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawata
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D010052:Ovariectomy; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen